Pipe perforating machine



1954 J. c. QUEBERG PIPE PERFORATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 00;-21, 1950 FIG-I FIG-2 INVENTOR. JOHN C. QUEBERG ATTORNEYS Dec. 21, 1954.1. c. QUEBERG 2,697,264 PIPE PERFORATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN C QUEBERG FIG. 4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent PIPE PERFORATIN G MACHINE John C.Queberg, Akron, Ohio, assignor to American Vitrified Products Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 21,1950, Serial No. 191,362

3 Claims. (Cl. 25105) This invention pertains to novel and improved pipeperforating machines and more particularly to machines for perforatingdrainage pipes made from clay or other plastic material.

As is known to those skilled in the art drainage pipes normally have anumber of small holes in their under semi-cylindrical portion in orderto allow drainage liquid to enter the pipe. These perforations aregenerally made in the newly formed pipe, before baking.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved machine forperforating a section of pipe at a plurality of locations in a singleoperation and by time-saving as well as efiicient means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the machine, partly broken away,to reveal internal structure;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the punch units used in themachine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 but omitting oneof the punch units for the sake of clarity, and,

Fig. 5 is a foration.

perspective view of a typical pipe after per- Speaking first generallythe invention comprises a frame having adjustably mounted thereon aplurality of punch units angularly disposed about a mandrel on which thepipe is retainably supported. Each punch unit is powered by a fluidmotor and punches a plurality of holes simultaneously; actuation of allunits is controlled by a single valve.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment, thestructure on which the various parts are mounted comprises a base 10carrying three box-like sections 11, 12 and 13. Sections 11 and 12 aresimilar in all respects and are formed of angle irons 11a and 12a whichrigidly support metal walls consisting of sheets 11b and 12b,respectively. Mounted on top of sections 11 and 12 is a section 13, alsoconstructed of angle iron 13a and sheet metal walls 13b. All sectionsare joined together by suitable means, as, for example, bolts 14. Rods39 serve to brace the structure.

Mounted on the rear portion of base 10 is a pedestal 15 which retainsand supports the end portion 16a of mandrel 16. Mandrel 16 is ofgenerally cylindrical shape and slightly smaller in diameter than theinside diameter of the pipe to be perforated. A portion is cut out ofthe bottom section as shown at 16b to allow the droppings resulting fromthe perforating operation to fall into a drawer 38 disposed betweensections 11 and 12, and slidably supported by brackets 18 attached tosaid sections 11 and 12. The droppings are scraped out of the pipe byshoulder 160 as the pipe is withdrawn from mandrel 16. Mandrel 16 isremovable from pedestal 15 and is fixedly maintained in the correctorientation in the pedestal by a complementary key and keywaycombination 17a and 17b. Mandrel 16 has apertures 19 formed therein andarranged in four longitudinal rows parallel to its axis. These aperturesreceive the tips of the punches soon to be described.

In the present embodiment the perforating operation is performed by fouridentical punch units mounted in the upper frame section 13 andangularly disposed around mandrel 16. Each unit is powered by a fluidmotor 20, adjustably mounted by bolts 21 through slots 22 in a plate 23which is supported between the metal sheets 13b by brackets 24. In thisinstance, air motors of a conventional double-acting type are used toreciprocate the punch units. The piston rod 25 of each motor is attachedthrough extensions 25a to guide bar 26 which has push rods 27 connectingit to punch bar 28. Set into punch bar 28 are seven punches 29, of equallength, all lying in a common plane and parallel to each other andradially disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel.

Guide ways are provided in which the ends of guide bar 26 ride as themotor piston is reciprocated. In the bolted to the sheet metal walls13b. The metal walls 13b are slotted so that punch bars 28 may projectthrough on both sides.

The punch units are arranged radially about mandrel 16 and so alignedthat the planes of reciprocation of the units intersect on the axis ofthe mandrel. The exact angular disposition of the units is not criticaland the illustration of the embodiment herein is not to be understood asa limitation of the invention. However, in this preferred embodiment,the units are positioned at approximately 45 and 80 respectively, oneach side of the vertical plane through the mandrel axis.

When the units are in their forward position, as will be hereinafterdescribed, the punches 29 intersect the mandrel 16 and are received intothe respective aper tures 19 in the mandrel. larger than punches 29.

Each motor has two fluid power feed conduits, one conduit 33 to advancethe unit towards perforating position, and a second conduit 34 toretract the unit to its initial idle position. When the fluid power isair, as in the embodiment illustrated, an air compressor (not shown)provides pressure through line 35 to valve 36 which is operated bytreadle 37. Treadle 37 is spring held in its upper position whereby airpressure is transmitted through valve 36, line 34a, and retract conduits34 to motors 20 to hold all punch units in their retracted or idleposition as shown in the drawings. When the operator depresses treadle37, valve 36 is actuated and the path of the compressed air is throughline 33a and advance conduits 33 to motors 20. Thus, the punch units areall moved inward toward mandrel 16 into perforating position as motorpiston rods 25 move forward. When the treadle is released, the airpressure through conduits 34 again returns the units to idle position.

Although the machine is not limited to operations on a particular sizepipe, the preferred embodiment described herein is adapted to perforate4, 6, and 8 inch pipe. Therefore, three mandrels are provided, one foreach of the pipe sizes. As previously pointed out, the mandrel is of asize whereby the pipe may be easily slipped over it with a frictionalsliding fit. Each mandrel, of course, has an enlarged end portion 16a ofthe proper size to fit into pedestal 15 and a keyway 17b to cooperatewith the pedestal key 17a.

When it is desired to perforate a pipe, the operator first selects themandrel of the size corresponding to the pipe size and inserts it intopedestal 15. When positioned in the pedestal so that the key and keyway17a, 17b are interlocked, the apertures 19 in mandrel 16 are properlyaligned with respect to the punches 29. When the pipe 40 is slipped overmandrel 16, the punch units are in their retracted or idle position asshown in Fig. 1. The operator then steps on treadle 37 which throughvalve 36, cuts off the air pressure from line 34a and retract conduits34, and admits pressure to the line 33a and advance conduits 33. Themotors 20 thereby cause the piston rods 25 to move forward, advancingthe punch units composed of guide bars 26, push rods 27, punch bars 28and punches These apertures 19 are slightly 29 toward the pipe 40 andmandrel 16. The forward movement continues until the punches 29" havegone through the pipe wall and entered into the apertures 19 in themandrel 16. The movement is stopped when the pistons in each motor 2.0have reached their limit of travel... The. operator then releases,treadle 37 which admits. air pressure through line 34a and on conduits34 to Withdraw punches 29 from. perforating relationship with themandrel and pipe and returns the punch units to their rest position. Asthe pipe 40 is pulled off the man drel 16, shoulder 16c scrapes thedroppings out of the pipe and they fall into drawer 38 after the pipe isremoved. The. machine is then ready to operate on the next pipe.

Pipe 40 then appears as shown in Fig. 5. The perforations 41 correspondin position to apertures 19 on the mandrel 16. v

As was previously pointed out motors 20 are adjustably mounted on plates23. By loosening bolts 21, the motors may be moved radially toward oraway from the mandrel inorder to properly'adjust punches 29 inperforating relat-ionship with apertures 19 in the mandrel.

Any suitable source of fluid power, such as air or oil, maybe used inthe machine. Only slight changes in the valve and conduit system shownin this preferred embodimom would be necessary'to convert the machinefrom air power to hydraulic power.

As can be seen from the above description of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the structure can be. manufactured almost completely fromreadily available standard structural parts such as sheets, angles,rods, and. plates. It is practically fool-proof and can be easilyoperated by unskilled labor after a short instruction period.

A valve controls the operation of all perforating units by means of asingle treadle, thereby leaving the opera tors hands free to quicklychange the pipe sections being perforated. Thus, considerable speed inthe operation can be attained.

In addition, fluid power is inexpensive, and, in the case of air, isexpendible. A closed system can be readily devised for oil power ifdesired.

Various changes in details and arrangements of parts can be made by oneskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the appended claims. 1

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for, producing perforations at predetermined locations inthe tubular wall of a generally cylindrical section of drainage pipeformed from a hardenable mastic material comprising a supporting frame,an elongated tubular mandrel supported in fixed position on saidsupporting frame and having an opening through its lower I tubular wall,said mandrel having upper and lower exterior surfaces conforming'to theinterior surface ofsaid pipe section whereby to support and maintainsaid pipe section in sleeved relation thereon, and perforating meanssupported on said frame and spaced around the upper portion of saidmandrel, said perforating means including a plurality of punches andfluid power means for moving said punches toward and away from saidmandrel, the outer surface of said mandrel being provided with a likeplurality of apertures in axial alignment with said punches whereby,when said mandrel supports anunhardened pipe section, advance of saidpunches untilsaid punches enter into said apertures producesperforations in said pipe section as desired and the droppings fromsaid: perforations fall through said opening onto the pipe bore, wherebythe edge of said opening scrapes said droppings out of said pipe bore asthe pipe is removed from said mandrel.

2. In a pipe punching machine, an elongated tubular mandrel, saidmandrel having an opening in its lower tubular wall and having anexterior surface for supporting and maintaining pipe in sleeved relationthereon during punching, and punching means fixed to said mandrel andmovable toward and away from said mandrel, the surface of said mandrelbeing provided with an aperture in alignment with said punch, whereby,when said mandrel supports a pipe, advance of said punch until saidpunch enters into said aperture produces a perforation in said pipe andthe dropping falls through said opening onto 1 the pipe bore, wherebythe edge of said opening located in close proximity to the bottom of thepipe bore scrapes said dropping out of said pipe bore as the pipe isremoved from said mandrel.

3. In a pipe machining apparatus, an elongated supporting member forsupporting and maintaining a pipe in sleeved relation thereon duringmachining, a pipe machining means associated with said supportingmember, said supporting member being so constructed that droppings fromsaid machining can fall onto said pipe bore,

' scraping means fixed to said supporting member and located closelyadjacent the bottom of the pipe bore when in sleeved relation forscraping said dropping out of said pipe bore as the pipe is removed fromsaid supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,398,320 Dunsworth Nov. 29, 1921 1,705,093 Owen Mar. 12, 19292,326,536 Hartsock et a1 Aug. 10, 1943

